Mandela Rhodes Foundation 2025 Scholarships for African Students at South African Universities

Published: 17 Mar 2025

The Mandela Rhodes Scholarships Programme combines financial support for postgraduate studies and a high-quality leadership development programme, to build exceptional leadership capacity in Africa.

A Mandela Rhodes Scholarship enables a Scholar to study at a South African tertiary institution registered with the South African Council on Higher Education for an accredited postgraduate degree programme. The Scholarship is awarded for one or a maximum of two years, currently for an Honours or Masters degree.

The leadership development programme comprises the following three components.

• Three residential workshops
• Three regional group pods
• Mentoring

MRF Postgraduate Scholarship

Application Deadline	April 21, 2025
Funding Type	Fully Funded
Country to study	South Africa
Type	Postgraduate
Sponsor	Mandela Rhodes Foundation (MRF)
Gender	Men and Women

Benefits of MRF Postgraduate Scholarship

The Scholarship covers the cost of a Scholar as follows:

• Tuition and registration fees as set by the institution;
• A study materials allowance as set by the MRF;
• Accommodation and meal allowances as set by the MRF;
• A medical aid allowance as set by the MRF;
• Economy-class travel allowance for international Scholars only from the Scholar’s home to their institution at the beginning and back home at the end of their degree programme;
• Personal allowance.

Requirements for MRF Postgraduate Scholarship

• The Mandela Rhodes Scholarships are open to citizens of all African countries
• The Scholarship is for postgraduate study at South African universities or tertiary institutions
• Full funding is for Honours (maximum one year) or Masters (up to a maximum of two years) or their equivalents (MBA’s excluded)
• Any individual who will be between the ages of 19 and 30 years at the time of taking up the Scholarship may apply
• Applicants must possess a first degree or its equivalent or must be in the process of completing one by 31 January 2026
• Applicants should have a history of well-above average-academic results
• Individuals that reflect in their character a commitment to the four principles of Education, Reconciliation, Leadership and Entrepreneurship
• The MRF leadership development activities sometimes include weekends. It is a condition of the Scholarship that attendance is compulsory

Application Documents

• Recommendation Letters
• Documentation: Degree certificates, academic transcripts, ID, and passport scans
• Essays: Personal journey and a specific question related to the scholarship’s principles
• Application for university admission
• South African Qualification Agency Certificate (for non-South African applicants)

Application Deadline

April 21, 2025

How to Apply

Interested and qualified? Go to Mandela Rhodes Foundation (MRF) on mandela-rhodes.embark.com to apply